Justin Fields had his best game as a pro last Sunday against the Denver Broncos, throwing for 335 yards and four touchdowns. However, even that was laced with a bittersweet aftertaste because he committed two disastrous turnovers that helped fuel a Denver comeback victory. Fields is now 5-23 as a starter for the Chicago Bears. Wins aren’t primarily a quarterback stat, but it puts into perspective how little he’s impacted the team’s fortunes in the win column since he arrived two years ago.
Many believe his breakout against the Broncos was a mirage. It was the product of playing a terrible defense. He will fall back to earth on Thursday night against the more talented and better-coached Washington Commanders. Questions have started shifting of late. It’s less about whether Fields can still turn it around and more about whether the Bears might trade him with the October 31st deadline approaching. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune offered his assessment, indicating what the Bears could likely get as a return.
It may come down to timing and interest.
“There were teams intrigued by Fields after his rookie season in 2021, teams that wondered if a regime change would lead the Bears to consider trading him. I know of a few clubs that remained relatively upbeat about him after last season. Where the interest level could be now, I can’t speculate.
I think the Bears could do a little better for Fields than the Niners did for Lance, but it’s going to depend on how he performs for the remainder of the season. It’s going to depend on what the open market looks like. It’s going to depend on how many teams are more interested in taking a shot on a draft pick. Maybe the career day with 335 yards passing and four touchdowns was the start of something special for Fields.”
Justin Fields’ Denver performance may have helped his value.
Biggs made it clear in the same article that this is likely his final season in Chicago. Fields hasn’t shown enough since the start of last season to justify another year. GM Ryan Poles didn’t draft him. The Bears will likely have two top-10 picks at minimum. They will seek a new solution at the quarterback position. Poles has already shown he’s not afraid to unload former Ryan Pace picks in the past. Trading Fields is something he would absolutely entertain. From what Biggs says, it sounds like they could be looking at at least a 4th round pick with another pick or a 3rd round pick.
However, all it takes is one team desperate enough at quarterback with a regime that believes in Justin Fields’ talent. If Sam Bradford could fetch a 1st round pick in 2016 despite a mostly middling career, it’s not a huge stretch to think the Bears can finagle a good package from somebody. It will come down to timing and depth of interest. The big game against Denver actually helps his value, offering a ray of hope that he can be a good quarterback. It might be wise for Chicago to strike while that game is still fresh in people’s minds.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
